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The Chase's Mark Labbett's rumoured famous girlfriend following divorce from second cousin

The Beast split from his second cousin in 2020

Mark Labbett in a suit at the press night after party of Dirty Dancing
Nichola Murphy
Deputy Lifestyle Editor
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Mark Labbett, 57, has reportedly found love again following his split from his wife of seven years, Katie. The Chase star, also known as 'The Beast', married his ex in October 2014 before realising they were second cousins. The former couple welcomed a son called Lawrence before splitting in 2020.

Three years on and Mark's friendship with TV star Hayley Palmer, 41, has supposedly blossomed into romance. Take a look at everything we know…

Who is Mark Labbett's rumoured girlfriend Hayley Palmer?

Hayley Palmer in a metallic dress with The Chase's Mark Labbett at Dirty Dancing in 2023© Brett Cove/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
Hayley Palmer and Mark Labbett reportedly met through work

Hayley not only regularly hosts the entertainment segment on GB News, but she also has her own music shows including At Home With Hayley and Saturday Night With Hayley Palmer on Sky TV.

Speaking about her job, which has included hosting the National Television Awards and the Dancing on Ice Launch, she said on her website: "I love hearing people’s stories, talking & music are my biggest passions! 

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"I’m so thrilled to be doing my dream job, I used to sit behind a desk and go through the motions of the day feeling unfulfilled, I just couldn’t work out how I would ever change my life, I’m living proof that you can do whatever you want to do, providing you have the right mindset.”

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The Portsmouth-born star was introduced to The Chase star through work. They sparked romance rumours after spending lots of time together outside of work, including recently heading to the beach in Southsea.

Neither Hayley nor Mark have publicly confirmed their relationship, but she has shared a few videos with the star as they played 80s music quizzes together. 

Who is Mark Labbett's ex-wife Katie?

Mark Labbett and ex-wife Katie Labbett attending the ITV Gala in 2017© Getty
Mark and his ex-wife Katie split in 2020

Mark was previously married to his second cousin Katie, who is 27 years his junior. The nurse told The Sun: "I had never heard of Mark or watched The Chase, but my gran mentioned him so I was intrigued."

In 2012, Mark invited Katie to watch a celebrity Chase special and they went on to get married two years later at Arundel Cathedral in West Sussex.

chase bradley walsh beast mark labbett© Rex
Mark Labbett invited his ex to watch The Chase on their first date

It wasn't until later that they found out their fathers were cousins. "It wasn't something we were aware of at the time - it was one of those things that happened," he said during an appearance on Loose Women.

Mark admitted they had hit a "rough patch" in 2019 which they worked through, but their marriage became strained again during the coronavirus lockdown when Katie was reportedly dating a senior design engineer.

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"When Katie first came clean to me about her boyfriend, I'd had an inkling. But right from the start, my attitude was quite pragmatic — this was spilt milk, what could we do about the situation to make it OK?" he said to The Sun, referring to their son. 

"We had a family. We couldn’t just throw that away lightly. There were other considerations. But Covid provided the perfect storm. My mental health suffered and the differences in our ages became magnified.

mark labbett wife© Getty
The pair, who are second cousins, got married in 2014

"With Katie seeing Scott after lockdown, it’s got to the point where I realise it’s better for us to go our separate ways and remain friendly, without the stress factor of living together," Mark continued. 

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